To Save A Life
by HinawithLove
Summary: All she wanted was to save his life.  A man that had sacrificed his very soul for the village and his brother...
1. Chapter 1

"_Good morning Itachi-san", the shy young medic called out. Every morning she enters his room, she greets him this way. He never responds, and she has stopped expecting him to. Still, her manners and kind nature compel her to be polite and gentle with the silent young man. He knows that she also feels pity for him, it is there in her voice sometimes when she talks to him. He wishes that she would not treat him kindly, he doesn't feel that he deserves it, but he realizes that it just her basic nature to be kind to others, regardless of their worthiness._

"_I heard some exciting news this morning in the break room. You are getting a sister-in-law in May!" she tells him as she adjusts his pillows and checks the wounds on his chest._

"_Sakura-chan has finally given in to Sasuke's pleas and agreed to marry him. I am so happy for her, all those years she loved him, it would have been such a tragedy if she had been unable to forgive him. Still, being betrayed by the one you love is never easy to get over- some people take a long time to forgive. But in the end, the love for that person never leaves your heart. In all those years he was gone, she never gave up on him deep inside." He could tell that she was trying to get a message across to him, but again he didn't acknowledge her words._

_Itachi pretended not to hear what anyone was saying to him. He was upset that his plans to die at Susuke's hands had been ruined. All those years of planning and pain were for nothing. He had wanted to give his brother the protection and gift of his eyes and techniques. More importantly, he believed that he owed Sasuke and his clan the right to be avenged for his crime against them. To this day, he did not regret following the orders he was given. The village and everyone in it were more important than one clan's greed for power. Still, he couldn't forgive himself for killing his family. Even if Sasuke could somehow forgive him, he wouldn't be able to accept it. So he pretends to be comatose. It is part of his new plan to die. He figures that eventually, as he remains in a comatose state, the close surveillance on him will be lifted and he will have the opportunity to end his life without interference._

_Hinata is aware that Itachi is playing possum, but she has yet to out him to the Hokage. At first, she was puzzled by his behavior, but after thinking deeply about his situation, and then putting herself into his shoes, she began to realize why he was acting the way he did. Lately, she felt like he was withdrawing even more from the world, and it worried her. She, more than anyone, understood how hard it was to stay alive when your entire reason for living is taken from you. She had discovered the truth of his mission one night when he cried out in his sleep, pleading with his family to forgive him. All the painful details, his attempts to save his brother, his self-loathing had been poured out in a drug-induced ramble. _

_Although she sympathized with him, she is upset that such a self-sacrificing man who has shown such courage in the past, should give up all hope for a life. So everyday, as she takes care of his needs, she talks to him, telling him snippets of news from Sasuke's life and the village. When she gets the chance, she tries to sneak in words of encouragement to him. So far, other than a few chakra spikes, Itachi has given her no indication that he is even listening to her at all, so today she is putting her plan to stop him into action._

"_Oh, Dog-san" she calls out weakly to the ANBU guard standing in the corner of the room. As he turns towards her, she raises a hand to her head and pretends to feel faint. Slowly, she collapses to the floor. The ANBU member leaps to her side and gently lifts her onto the bed next to Itachi's._

"_I will return with a doctor, Hyuuga-sama." the man disappears in a cloud of smoke. Instantly, Hinata jumps up and goes to Itachi's bedside and leans down to whisper in his ear._

"_I know that you are awake. If you are planning what I am afraid you are planning, you will only hurt him worse. Not to mention, everyone in this village still needs your protection. Will you dishonor the Uchiha clan with a cowardly act? Be strong, and honor those dead with a life well lived." she told him sternly. She rushed back into the bed just as the ANBU returned with Shizune._

_Shizune reached out and checked Hinata's pulse and looked into her eyes. Just as she was getting ready to break open some smelling salts under the young woman's nose, Hinata moaned faintly and opened her eyes._

"_Welcome back." Shizune said with a smile. She helped Hinata sit up and asked her a few questions. Satisfied that the problem was merely mild exhaustion from over training on an empty stomach before work, she gave her young colleague orders to rest for a few minutes and promised to have a meal sent up._

"_Eat every bit. Honestly Hinata, you should know better. I know that your father is pushing you hard to pass the jounin exams, but you must take care of yourself. Especially since you have your obligations here to fulfill as well." she said firmly. Hinata lowered her head submissively and nodded. Shizune turned to leave and asked to ANBU guard to accompany her to Tsunade's office for new orders._

_As soon as they were out of hearing range, Itachi sat up and turned to Hinata. He was angry that this young woman would presume to tell him what to do. What does she know of my pain? How dare she accuse me of being a coward? And what does she mean by honoring them by living well? I have no right to happiness with so much blood on my hands! Angry black eyes met compassionate pale lavender eyes. After several minutes, Itachi looked away first. He felt ashamed, yet he wasn't sure exactly what for. All he knew was that he couldn't stand to see the understanding and sorrow in Hinata's eyes. He laid back onto the bed a few seconds before an aide brought in the promised food tray. After the aide left the room, Hinata turned towards Itachi and spoke to him again._

"_All life is precious, Itachi-san. Even yours. Maybe you can not see your worthiness, but I can see a man who sacrificed himself for love of his village and his little brother. Such a man should have the courage to face his actions and not take the easy way out. I know that I have no right to speak to you this way, but I can't sit by and see a fellow shin-obi go down such a path without trying to save him. Please think about what I have said, that is all I can ask." she bowed to him and ate in silence. Once she was done, she approached his bed. Quickly, before he realized what she meant to do, Hinata had struck several chakra points._

"_This was a bit of a dirty trick, but now you will be unable to move until the guard returns. Though the circumstances that brought you to this point are vastly different from my own, I understand well the feeling of worthlessness and self-loathing that is driving your decision." she said softly. His eyes snapped open and he searched hers for the truth. In those pale eyes he saw an echo of his pain reflected. Abruptly she broke eye contact with him and turned to leave the room. She paused at the doorway._

"_Your life has meaning and purpose still if you will let it. This village is still in danger from an Uchiha, and your brother still needs his older brother." she told him quietly and then left. He winced at the soft click the door made as it shut. Am I really a coward, he thought to himself. All this time, he had thought that allowing Sasuke to take his life was the last atonement he could make for his clan. But maybe it was merely a way to escape my pain wrapped up in the guise of noble sacrifice. Ar-rgh! She has me doubting everything I believed to be right! Damn her, he cursed to himself. What should I do? _

_Hinata left the hospital and set out for the training grounds with determination. Now that she had confronted Itachi and given him something to think about, she was ready for phase two of her plan. Confront Sasuke. In many ways, this was going to be harder for her. It was easy to work up the courage to talk to Itachi- he was still bedridden and vulnerable. Not to mention, until today, he hadn't looked at her. Sasuke on the other hand, was in the peak of health and perfectly capable of forcefully making her mind her own business. The fact that he willingly embraced a dark path made her fear him more than Itachi. Sure Itachi was the more deadly of the two brothers, but he had been forced down the darkness, not seeking it out willingly. She knew that Naruto had finally forced Sasuke to see the truth of his actions, but whenever she saw him, she could see a shadow in the back of his eyes. I wonder what he is going to do to me? She asked herself apprehensively as she approached him. Sasuke lowered out of his stance and waited for her to speak._

"_Is this about my brother? I know that you are the medic in charge of him." he asked. She looked up at him and tried to marshal all her courage, as he sighed impatiently. She had practiced what she was going to say, but standing there in front of him, her carefully prepared speech refused to come to mind. _

"_I think he is planning on committing suicide." she blurted out. Sasuke's head snapped back in surprise before he got control over himself._

"_Good, he deserves to die for what he did to our family." he said in a hard voice._

"_He sacrificed his life and soul for this village and you, and all you can say is good?" she asked him incredulously. Suddenly, her fear faded away, as anger at the injustice of the whole situation took over. She walked up to him and slapped him across the face._

"_How dare you! All you ever see is yourself and your pain. What about Itachi, Sasuke? Do you think he enjoyed killing his family? Do you think he was happy to know that his beloved little brother was going to hate his guts for what he was ordered to do? Your life has always been worth more to him than his own, and how do you repay him for that? By cursing him for something he had no control over!" she yelled at him._

"_He didn't have to accept the mission! He didn't have to kill our entire clan!" he screamed back at her._

"_And you think that it would have all gone away? Did you ever think that by accepting the mission he was honoring the clan and saving your worthless hide?" she asked him. He starred at her incredulously, and let out a mirthless laugh._

"_In what warped way do you think he was honoring the clan? I'd really like to hear this. My god, you are delusional!" he roared at her._

"_He took their lives carefully with his own two hands. He did not let anyone else in the village touch the clan. I read the autopsy reports-each death was almost instantaneous. No one suffered. Except you. He couldn't kill you, even though he was supposed to. Is that what you condemn him for- that by letting you live he was leaving you alone in pain?" she asked quietly. "Where the murders you committed under Orochimaru's orders more honorable? Haven't you tried to kill everyone left in the village that loved you? If you deserve to come back and live a happy life after all the acts you have committed, why doesn't he? Maybe instead of cursing him, you could realize that you wouldn't even be alive today if it wasn't for his sacrifice." On those parting words, she stalked off, leaving him alone to think. _


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke starred at Hinata as she walked away, his Sharigan swirling ominously. He was barely restraining himself from running after her and making her shut her mouth. Just as he began to move forward, he forced himself to stop. Instead, he turned in the opposite direction and took to the trees, putting as much distance between himself and the little Hyuuga as he could. Though he was accepted back in the village and was no longer considered a missing nin, there had been stipulations that he had to live by or be imprisoned. Intentionally harming a fellow shin-obi was a direct violation of his probation. He pushed himself to go faster as her words burned through his mind.

She is full of shit! There is nothing noble about slaughtering your own clan! Sure, I've killed a lot of people, but it was under direct orders from Orochimaru. I needed to let him believe that I was under his control so that he would teach me all he knew. To get stronger, to test the limits of my skill…oh my God! Sasuke dropped quickly from the tree branch he was on, almost falling. He knelt down and put his face in his hands. Those words, my God, that is what he told me that night. It was horrendous then, to believe that all my loved ones died so that he could test himself. How is what I have done any different? At least now I know that he was trying to prevent a civil war. I killed simply to become more powerful.

As he knelt there, memories of the past played through his head. The images of his childhood before the massacre: sitting in his grandfather's lap as the old man played shougi with his cronies, playing ninja with his cousins, the special tomato casserole his mother made especially for him. Training with his brother out in the forest, all the times Itachi let him sneak into bed with him during thunderstorms, Itachi giving him piggyback rides when he was hurt or tired. Itachi poking him in the head just to tease him. Telling him that he would always be there for him, even if Sasuke hated him.

His mind played over the night of the killings, and this time instead of shying away from picture in his mind, he forced himself to examine the bodies of his clansmen and women. Though there was blood everywhere, the bodies had little damage. The children and babies each had only one blow to the heart. The arrangement of the bodies was also odd. Most of them appeared to be frozen in time, as if they had merely been surprised in the act of their normal nighttime rituals. Most of the bodies that laid in the streets wore the uniforms of the police force. They were the only ones that looked like they had suffered from defensive wounds. He shuddered as he released himself from the genjitsu he used to remember. She was right- almost everyone died from a single killing blow! His mind raced as he considered the ramifications of his discovery.

All these years, he had believed that Itachi had mutilated the bodies, killing everyone brutally. Hatred spawned his heart by jealousy, had burst and magnified itself a hundred fold from the images in his mind. Every nightmare, every memory of better times, his brother's last words to him, all of it had added to that first sliver of hatred. Then there was the loneliness, the guilt of being the only survivor, of being weak, of being scared that Itachi would change his mind and come back to kill him. All the emotions had swirled around in his sub consciousness until he was half mad. He had become consumed with growing stronger, more skilled. He claimed the title of avenger, a purpose to his life, the only way he could justify his existence to himself.

He had pushed aside any emotion that did not help him get stronger. Love, friendship, loyalty, laughter, all these things were considered to be unnecessary. Dangerous to an avenger for they weakened him, distracted him from his purpose in life. There would time enough for those things when he killed Itachi, then he could be free to feel again. Hatred, coldness, sarcasm, superiority; anything that created a barrier between himself and others was nurtured. Besides, how could anyone else truly feel or understand what he was going through? He was the only one who was completely alone.

Until he noticed Naruto. And he felt a little less alone in the world. Still it wasn't the same for Naruto-he was alone from the beginning. An orphan. Never had anyone cared for him, loved him. So though he felt a certain kinship with the despised youth, he never connected with him fully. They competed in everything, taunted each other, sparred with each other, and provided some unspoken bond of family. But always, in the back of Sasuke's mind was the knowledge that even his closest friend couldn't share his pain.

Sakura he loved. Never openly, in fact, he made it a point to never encourage her. Knowing that he would leave the village one day, would leave her one day to pursue Itachi. Knowing that it was a mission he might die accomplishing, he deemed it unfair to accept the gift of her love or let her build her life around him. He had dreams about her. Dreams of them rebuilding the Uchiha clan together. At times, he let himself imagine what it would be like to stay, to give up his title of avenger, to marry Sakura and start their family, to accept Naruto into his heart as his honorary brother. But then the nightmares would start up again. His relatives would call out to him in sorrow and anger, asking him if he had forgotten them. Abandoned them to selfishly pursue happiness. And when he woke from these dreams, he would be covered in sweat and ashamed of himself. And his coldness and hatred would rebound, increasing in volume.

For the first time, he asked himself what he would have done in Itachi's place. Since learning the truth about Itachi's mission from Madara, he had avoided asking himself what he would have done. Would he have been able to remain loyal to his oath to protect the village? Would he have been skilled enough to take out the whole clan without injuring himself? Would he have be emotionally strong enough to do what had to be done? He searched his heart and knew without a doubt that he could not have done what his brother did. He attempted to separate himself from the situation, to look at it objectively. What would he think of a ninja from a different village whose actions had mirrored Itachi's?

The more he thought about it, the more questions he had for Itachi. And the Hokage. He started back to the village, the sun was setting and he had promised Sakura that he would take her out to dinner tonight. After all he had put her through in the past, he made it a point to treat her like she was precious. If she wanted something, she got it. If he promised something, he fulfilled it. Never again would he hurt her on purpose or shove her away. Slowly, she was trusting him again, and he treasured that trust.

One last memory rose to taunt him as he reached the village. That night, as Itachi turned to leave, a single tear had rolled down his face. Yes, he definitely needed the truth from his big brother. The real reason why he had decided to accept the mission that ruined their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura sighed in annoyance as she failed for the fifth time in two minutes to get Sasuke's attention. From the moment he arrived to pick her up for their date, she sensed that he was distracted. Oh, he had done everything he normally did and pretended to pay attention as she talked about the wedding. Underneath it all, however, he was drifting farther away, pulling into his own little world. And now, he wasn't even answering her. Well that is enough! He was going to tell her what was on his mind! No more shoving her away emotionally-that was the promise he had made to her, and she would make sure that he damn well fulfilled it! Under the table, she gave him a swift kick to the shin.

"What the hell was that for?" he growled as he grabbed his shin. Luckily, she hadn't used even close to her full strength, or he would have a broken bone.

"Oh, I just wanted to get your attention. Since you are ignoring me!" she said angrily. He looked up and saw that she was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. The expression on her face was one of anger, but there was fear and worry in her eyes. His chest tightened as he realized that she was afraid that he was distancing himself from her. She still doesn't trust what I feel for her. Damn, I thought that we had gotten past this point, but apparently not. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to have to tell her what was going on. He would need her help to get answers out of the Hokage anyway. His decision made, he looked up at her and smiled ruefully.

"I am sorry, I just had the past shoved in my face by someone tonight, and everything I learned is just leading me to more questions. I apologize for making you feel neglected." He reached across the table and stroked her cheek softly. She huffed, but reluctantly dropped her arms and smiled back at him.

"Will you tell me what's bothering you? Maybe I can help." she said softly as she reached out to hold his hand. The fear was gone from her eyes, but she frowned slightly as she worried about what he was going to tell her. She knew that it still took a conscious effort on his part to share his thoughts and emotions with her. All those years of shoving everyone away and keeping everything bottled up inside had become second nature to him. Even now, he tended to confide only to her and Naruto.

"Do you mind if we leave here? I don't want anyone to overhear what I am about to tell you." he asked quietly. She nodded, and he flagged the waiter down. After paying for the meal, they left and headed back to their apartment. Despite her great desire to know what was bothering him, she could not help the happiness that rose up in her as they walked across town. She relished every glare, every whisper behind hands, because it was her proof that their relationship was real. So often in the past, she had dreamed of nights like this. A fine meal at a nice restaurant, a walk in the moonlight holding hands, Sasuke actually volunteering to let her into his thoughts. Sometimes, it just seemed so unreal to her that they were actually together, but seeing the reactions of everyone in the village helped her to realize that it was real. Sasuke was finally hers. So take that fan girls-cha! Roared inner Sakura. She smiled brightly and leaned her head against his shoulder. Sasuke smiled down at her and pulled her closer, leaving his arm around her shoulders.

They arrived at their apartment and sat down on the couch. She waited for him to start, knowing that he was gathering his thoughts carefully. Sasuke never spoke unless he was clear about what he wanted to say. Never wasted his words foolishly.

"First, I need to make this clear- what I am telling you must stay strictly between the two of us. Hinata came to me tonight and told me that she believes Itachi is going to kill himself." Sakura gasped, and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Sasuke, Lady Tsunade herself said that he is in a deep coma. How can he possibly be able to commit suicide? Hinata must be wrong." she said firmly.

"The Byagukan of Hyuuga clan is a lie detector of sorts. Itachi is cunning enough to be able to fake the signs of a coma. She takes care of him everyday, and I believe that she is in the position to know his condition better than anyone else." he replied.

"Look Sasuke, Hinata is good and all, but we are taking about one of the legendary sannin here. How could Hinata-"

"Sakura, I know that you worship Lady Tsunade, but I am telling you, the Byagukan sees things no one else can." he interrupted her. He knew that she would have a hard time accepting that her mentor had missed something this big. It wasn't that he didn't respect the woman, but Itachi was a legend in his own right, and highly skilled. The degree of control he had over his body would make it child's play for him to simulate his biorhythms into those of a coma patient.

"I believe her, Sakura. That is not all. She confronted me for being selfish and not considering Itachi's side of what happened. She basically came right out and said that he did the best he could to honor the clan and save me by accepting the mission. I almost killed her." he stated baldly, hanging his head down. Sakura starred at him in amazement. The thought that Hinata would be bold enough to say such hurtful things to another person, let alone imply that the Uchiha massacre was acceptable, was mind boggling to her. The fact that Sasuke admitted to wanting to kill the young woman scared her. She knew that he had come back from the edge of insanity, but he would never be a person of light. The balance between what he knew was right and what he knew he was capable of was a constant struggle for him. She was glad that he had refrained from hurting the girl, in the past, if someone had said something like that to him, he would have swiftly and brutally killed them.

"But you didn't." she said softly, and gently hugged him. He leaned his head onto her shoulder and let her comfort him. After a few minutes, he pulled back and looked into her beautiful green eyes.

"I promised you that I would never leave you again. Killing a fellow shin obi would have gotten me thrown in jail, and made me break my promise. I never want to be separated from you again." he vowed intensely as he continued to stare into her eyes.

"Oh Sasuke!" she cried out as she threw herself into his arms sobbing. He held her tightly, and silently willed her to believe this time. Since his return to the village he had done everything he could to prove to her that he loved her and was never leaving her again. But it was always a fight against his previous actions and words to her. She had forgiven him eventually, but the years of neglect and cruelty could not be swept away from her memory so easily. It was always there in the back of her mind, and she was constantly on the look out for any signs that he was going to return to his former self. Suddenly, she pulled out of his arms and jumped to her feet.

"I am going to have a little talk with Hinata. She had no right to say those things to you! How dare she imply that you are being selfish!" She wiped the tears off her face and headed to the door with a look of angry determination on her face. Sasuke leaped up and grabbed her from behind.

"Sakura stop! She was right." he said quickly as she struggled to be released.

"WHAT!" she screamed in astonishment.

"After she left, I went into the forest and spent several hours thinking about everything I learned up to that point about what happened. Madara told me that the Uchiha clan was wiped out because they were planning to take control of the village. He also told me that Itachi made a deal with the Hokage for my protection, the conditions of which forced him to be the one that killed the clan and flee the village to join the Atkatski as a spy. Hinata told me that she had reviewed the autopsy reports and that almost every death was instantaneous. I put myself up a genjitsu so that I could examine every detail of that night. I examined the bodies, and I watched Itachi's face instead of listening to his words. Sakura, he was crying as he left that night." he said hoarsely.

Sakura stopped fighting him, and turned to embrace him instead. She held him as he shuddered, and his body was racked with harsh sobs. She was incredibly saddened by the knowledge that there would never be peace for him. He forced himself forward and reached for a happy future, but he would never be free of his horrendous past. Tears fell from her eyes as she vowed to do everything in her power to help him. They stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other for comfort. Slowly, Sasuke brought himself under control.

"Sakura, I don't know if I can ever forgive him, but I need to know the full truth of what happened. I need access to the Third Hokage's journal, the classified ANBU missions log, and the autopsy reports from that night. If I confirm that what Madara and Hinata said was true, there is a good chance that my brother did sacrifice himself for me. And I don't know what I will do if it is true. All theses years, I nurtured my hatred of him, and it could be that he was protecting me this whole time…" he said wretchedly.

"We will find out the truth, Sasuke. But we need Naruto's help. Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata hesitated outside the door to Itachi's hospital room. Sure, she wanted to help him and devoted a large amount of her waking hours thinking about ways to do so. Her desire to stop him from ending his life was so strong that he was invading her dreams. Hinata raised her hands to cover her suddenly red cheeks as she remembered the dream she had about Itachi last night. Images flashed through her head of sweet kisses and lingering touches, and she felt as though her blush was covering her entire body.

Stop it-just stop it! She yelled to herself, as she attempted to get her emotions back under control. She had a job to do and mooning over her patient was a complication she could not afford. The man was in pain, both emotional and physical. He definitely did not need some second rate medical nin lusting over him. Even as she told herself all this, she could not help the feelings of admiration and attraction from rising up in her. When the Fifth Hokage approached her to be in charge of his care, she was given highly classified information about his mission. Apparently, Hinata was Tsunade's last resort as caregiver since everyone else refused to treat the man. Before the girl had a chance to refuse, the older woman had revealed Itachi's true motives for the massacre. She then handed Hinata the autopsy reports and gave her two days to make a decision.

Those two days were spent in deep contemplation as the young woman examined the evidence. First, she thought about what the Tsunade had revealed about the nature of Itachi's mission and his agreement to join the criminal organization as a spy in return for Sasuke's life. She tried to think about what it would be like if the Fifth came to her with such a mission. What would she do to protect the village? To protect Hanabi or Neji? Would she have been capable of making such a heartbreaking decision? It was almost beyond the limits of her imagination to think of the emotional pain such a decision would cause anyone. According to the Fifth, the Uchiha clan had chosen war over the safety of the village, and in doing so had sealed their fate.

As a kuniochi, Hinata had been sent out missions that mainly involved reconnaissance and rescues. That was the specialty of her team, and they were very good at what they did. However, she had been sent on missions to assassinate certain people, all considered to be enemies of the Hidden Leaf village. It was because of these missions that Hinata had eventually requested to be transferred to the hospital and began her medical training. She was too empathetic to easily force herself to kill. Every death caused by her hands haunted her. She wondered about the victim's family and friends. It began to tear her apart emotionally. After the last such mission she had been sent on, she decided that she could no longer use her skills to kill. She wanted to protect and heal, not cause death. Tsunade had immediately approved of the transfer, but the Hyuuga clan was less than thrilled by her choice. Her title as heir was given to Hanabi, and her father had placed a condition upon his approval of her new career. She had to pass the jounin exam on her first try. If not, she would be disowned by the clan and be have her Byagukan sealed.

Hinata realized that it would take an individual with both a deep sense of personal honor and emotional fortitude to carry out such a mission. Not only that but a skill level that was parallel to that of the sannin. Her compassionate nature made her highly sympathetic to the young man forced to make such a decision. While she knew in her heart that she would have been unable to do what he had done, she felt that he did not deserve the hatred that was directed towards him. What shape would the village be in now if not for his sacrifice? The fact that he had made a deal to save his younger brother's life also proved to her that he was not the emotionless monster everyone considered him to be.

Reluctantly, she had turned her attention to the autopsy reports. She did not know why the older woman wanted her to read them, but knew that it was important for some reason. Trusting in her mentor, she examined the reports one at a time, and a pattern began to emerge. Only twenty members of the entire clan bore wounds that were of a defensive nature. The entire rest of the clan had received a single killing blow, mainly to the heart. There would have been no time for the victims to feel pain. The young woman was amazed by the skill level that would have been necessary to achieve such a feat. Then a thought occurred to her- the way they had been killed was merciful. Not only merciful, but in a way respectful. Itachi had not wanted his clans members to suffer.

When she put all the pieces together, she knew what her decision would be. How could she NOT help a man who had been through so much, who had given up so much to protect others? Her decision given, she had gone straight to the hospital to check on her new patient only to make a discovery. He was not in a coma, as Tsunade had informed her. How she knew this, she was not fully conscious of. Her bloodline limit often revealed things to her that others would not notice. She pretended to believe that he was unconscious and tended to his needs. For some reason she could not explain, she kept his condition a secret. At the end of her shift, she went home and attempted to figure out why he was faking a coma. Coming up with more questions than answers, she fell asleep only to dream of her patient.

The next day she arrived to find that his condition had worsened overnight and he was running a fever. As she changed his sweat drenched sheets, she received the answers she was looking for. He began to ramble, begging the forgiveness of his family. He called out the names of individuals as he cried. Then he started to curse himself and claim that he should have died with the rest. His thrashing had reached a point to where she had been forced to use the restraints and a mild sedative so that he would not rip out his IV needles. She cried silent tears as she listened to years of pent up emotions pour out of the man. He loathed himself. He cursed his very existence in one sentence, while calling out to training tips to his little brother in the next. Eventually, his fever subsided and he grew quiet. She sat in the chair next his bed and watched his face as he slept. When her shift ended, she returned to her apartment and cried herself to sleep.

That night, she tossed and turned in her bed, her sleep disturbed by the remembrance of Itachi's ramblings. For some reason, she felt a deep kinship with the man. As dawn approached, she shot straight up in her bed as a realization came to her. The way he was talking, some of the things he had said, could it be? Surely she was just being paranoid? He would not take his own life would he? At one very low point in Hinata's life she had seriously contemplated suicide. Her feelings at the time had mirrored some of what Itachi had revealed in his rambling. Of being too weak, worthless, despised, and terribly alone. She knew the emotional pain he was suffering, and it was a terrible place to be. She had been lucky, Neji had stopped her. Who would stop Itachi? No one cared about him, not one friend, and his only family member hated him. A conviction grew in her heart that it was her duty to save his life. So as she lay watching the sun slowly rise, she determined on her course of action.

Hinata finished reminiscing and gathered up her courage to enter his room. Between the words she spoke to him yesterday, and what she dreamed about last night, she was very reluctant to face him today. Just the idea of having to touch him caused her to blush deeply. This strange attraction she felt for him was already interfering with her ability to take care of him. Still, not only was it her duty, it was her way of the ninja to never run away. Reminding herself of this, she took a deep breathe and entered the room, her usual greeting on her lips.

"Good morning, Itac-" she never finished her sentence as her eyes locked with his.


	5. Chapter 5

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO….SIGH.

Hinata's eyes were captured by Itachi's intense ebony gaze. She stiffened in surprise, before forcing herself to relax. She noticed several things at once. He was sitting up in bed, his IV's and catheter were removed, and only the heart monitor was still attached. On the bedside table was a tray with a few remnants of food left on it. Does this mean he has decided to live, she asked herself. She felt hope and relief flood through her body quickly, and it almost made her dizzy. She approached the bedside and examined his chart, trying to give herself time to get her emotions under control.

Though she kept her eyes glued to the chart, she could feel his scrutiny, and it unnerved her. Unable to stall any longer, she looked up and began her normal routine of checking his temperature, blood pressure, and the status of the wound over his heart. She knew that a blush was forming over her face, but she did her best to keep her expression pleasantly impassive. This was so much easier when he was pretending to be comatose, she thought to herself with embarrassment. She searched her mind for some tidbit of interesting gossip, anything that would break the tension growing in the room.

"So….Kiba's dog Akamaru is a father again." she said weakly. Mentally she gave herself a smack in the forehead. She glanced up at him under her lashes, and was surprised to see a tiny, barely-there smile. It was gone quickly, but she felt a strange sense of elation mixed in with mortification. She, Hinata Hyuuga, had made the great Itachi Uchiha smile. So what if it was because she had just blurted out the lamest bit of news the village had to offer? A smile was still a smile, however small, and it was proof that he was responding.

Itachi examined the petite female in front of him as she wrote the results of her examination down on his chart. The day before he had paid attention to nothing but her voice and her eyes. Today he noted that she had beautiful waist length indigo hair that was tied back neatly in a single ponytail that hung down her back. His eyes skimmed her body and he could not help but notice that she had a very nice figure. Curvy in all the right places, womanly, but with a fine layer of muscle underneath. He observed that she had elegant finely boned hands that had calluses and several small scars on various fingers. He saw that her hand was trembling slightly. He felt a grim amusement overtake him as he wondered where all her courage from yesterday had flown off to. To look at her now, one would ever guess that she would have the guts to confront someone of his reputation with an accusation of cowardice. Feeling slightly malicious, he decided to see how nervous he could make her.

"Hyuuga." he said menacingly. To his satisfaction, she jumped and fumbled to catch his chart, which she had almost dropped in fright.

"H-hai, Itachi-san?" she asked hesitantly. He noticed with displeasure that she was still avoiding looking him directly in the face. He wanted to see if her features were as perfect as the rest of her. He reached out grabbed the chart before it fell and handed it back to her. She bowed her thanks and slowly raised her eyes to his face. His own eyes widened slightly in shock as he realized that her face _was _just as perfect as the rest of her. She had a heart-shaped face with clear alabaster skin, delicate eyebrows over beautiful lavender eyes that shone, a small straight nose, and a pair of full rosy lips. Desire punched him low and mean in the gut, and he looked away quickly as he felt a slight blush come to his cheeks. My god, she is really gorgeous!

Itachi was upset by his response to her. He was no saint, but the level of desire he had felt in the past was dull compared to the wave he had just been hit with. Since growing into manhood, his sexual needs were more of a nuisance than anything, something he was able to control with a willing partner sporadically. This was totally different and disturbing. He was a man used to being in total control of himself, not some love-sick teenager. He concentrated hard to will his heartbeat to remain steady; there was no way he was going to humiliate himself by letting the heart monitor betray his excitement. Why does she have this effect on me- and why now? He asked himself angrily. He did not want this, refused to want her!


	6. Chapter 6

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO…DAMMIT. ;'(

Five sets of eyes watched the desk split in half. Two in anger, one in exasperation, one in laughter, and the last in fear. There was the sound of a pig squealing out a warning, and then the unmistakable sound of glass breaking. A few seconds passed as Sasuke, Sakura, Shizune, Naruto, and Ton-ton watched to see how the Hokage was going to react. Everyone but Sasuke stepped back warily as she rose slowly to her feet. She walked towards him with repressed fury flashing through her honey brown eyes.

"That was the last bottle of sake sent to me by the Daimyo. You will replace it. You will also replace my desk." This was said quietly. Naruto, Sakura, and Shizune all grimaced, they knew what was coming.

"As for your 'respectful' request for information. DENIED!" She roared in his face. Sasuke did not even flinch, though a vein in his temple started to bulge slightly. He had expected to be denied at first, especially since he knew that Tsunade hated him. She held the pain he caused Naruto and Sakura against him. That had not stopped him from losing his temper and using his katana on her desk, however. He sighed deeply, and decided to take himself out of the equation for the moment. He bowed to the Hokage and sent a beseeching look to his fiancée and best friend.

"Come on Granny! If it were your family, you would want to know everything! Just because you hate Sasuke-teme doesn't give you the right to-" Naruto whined at Tsunade, but was stopped when she threw her stapler at him.

"Naruto! This is about the security of the village! I know that you consider Sasuke to be completely loyal to Kohona again, but I don't trust that easy. Opening up confidential files to a former missing nin is not something I am going to do. Dismissed!" Tsnade turned her back on the three young ninja. She walked over to the window and looked out over the village.

"Lady Tsunade, please reconsider!" pleaded Sakura. The older woman merely waved her hand at her apprentice while she continued to stare out the window. Sakura looked at Naruto and Sasuke in despair; she knew that it would be virtually impossible to get her mentor to change her mind once she was set on a decision. Naruto hitched up his pants and started towards Tsunade, only to be stopped by Sasuke holding his arm up to block him. The Uchiha knew what had to be done, though he hated the fact that it was necessary. He walked over to the Hokage and prostrated himself before her, his forehead touching the office floor. She turned to face him, and folded her arms as she waited to see how far he was willing to humble himself. He looked up into her eyes with frustrated defiance before shutting his own with a sigh.

"Please Lady Tsunade, I need to know the full truth of what happened that night. I feel like I am losing my mind. I made killing Itachi the focus of my life and now I find that he may have been protecting me this whole time." Sasuke hesitated as he swallowed his pride to plead with her. He starred into her eyes, showing her everything he was feeling, something he would normally never allow to anyone to see.

"Please, my Lady Hokage, I beg of you to give me the truth." He lowered his head back down to the floor, and waited in tense silence. The office was completely silent; the others hardly daring to breathe as they waited to see if Sasuke's act of humility would cause the Hokage to change her decision. Tsunade turned to the window again, starring blindly out over the village. Just as the tension level in the room seemed like it was ready to explode, the older woman turned to her assistant.

"Shizune, we need the Third's diary, the records from the negotiations between the Uchiha clan and the council, and the confidential ANBU mission log." she ordered. As the younger woman rushed out of the room, the Hokage walked back over to her broken desk. She leaned down and pushed in several pieces of decorative molding on the edge. A secret drawer popped out, and she removed two items. Hesitantly, she motioned Sasuke forward and handed the items to him.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he examined what she had given him. The first item was an envelope addressed to him in Itachi's handwriting, and the second was Itachi's personal journal. He remember watching his older brother write in the journal daily. Many times, he had attempted do steal it out of Itachi's room, but his brother had hidden it well. He raised his eyes to Tsunade, questioning her silently.

"Itachi left the letter for you to receive after his death. The journal was stolen by the ANBU black ops squad- I am assuming to test the truth of his loyalty to the village. The Third Hokage always wanted you to be told the truth, but he was afraid that you would not be able to understand until you were older. But you left the village before it could be given to you." She meet his gaze challengingly. Sasuke starred intensely back at her, but then turned away.

"Have you read it?" He asked. She nodded.

"When you and Itachi were brought back, I went digging for answers. For a long time, I have been receiving anonymous tips about the movements of the Atkatski. The accuracy of these tips led me to believe that it had to be someone in the organization itself. The only one with any connection to our village was Itachi. As it became clear that he was going to live, I needed to know where his allegiance laid. I won't apologize for reading them-it was necessary. I will say this- some of the answers that you seek are contained in them. The rest is contained in the materials Shizune is retrieving. I can only hope that when you learn the truth, you will act with wisdom, because you are on your last chance now." She said enigmatically.


	7. Chapter 7

I DON'T OWN NARUTO….*SOB*

Hinata glanced up at Itachi as the heart monitor indicated a leap in his heartbeat.

"Are you feeling any pain Itachi-san? Your heart rate spiked." He looked at her as she questioned him softly, her face full of concern. He was amazed by her natural kindness. Even her chakra felt gentle to him. Her inner beauty matched her outer beauty. Which was really saying something, because she was the most beautiful, desirable-

BEEP..BEEP...BEEPBEEPBEEP..

Damn, that monitor has really got to go, he thought to himself disgustedly. There was a strangled choke from the corner of the room, as the ANBU guard attempted to cover his mirth with a cough. Itachi glared menacingly at him, then turned back to the clueless medical nin.

"Hyuuga-san, I think you need to have this equipment checked. It is clearly malfunctioning." He said coldly. A small wrinkle appeared between her brows as she considered the probability that the machine was giving incorrect readings. More than likely Itachi was still in pain and did not want to admit it. Men are such babies when they are hurt, she thought to herself with a tiny smile.

"I will inform Lady Tsunade, according to her notes, she wants you to remain on the monitor for another 48 hours. We'll have to find one that is working properly." She reached over to punch the reset button, and missed the grimace that came over his face. This time the ANBU guard didn't even try to cover his chuckle. Both Hinata and Itachi turned to stare at him. Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan and gasped when she recognized his chakra pattern.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she asked. Itachi snorted inelegantly to himself. Just as I thought, he never did resist the chance to laugh at me. Hinata looked confusedly between the two men. Kakashi pulled down his ANBU mask and gave her a little wave.

"Itachi here is an old ANBU friend of mine. I asked the Hokage to be allowed to guard him." He smiled cheerfully at the former Atkatski member, who noticed that despite the smile, he had a serious gleam in his eye. Itachi had a feeling that he would be getting the third degree from Kakashi as soon as Hinata left.

"Oh, that's nice." she beamed back at him. Itachi grew irritated when he saw how Kakashi's smile grew in response to Hinata. Unless his former friend had changed drastically, the man was still a pervert. He did not want him smiling at Hinata, looking at her, or talking to her….well shit, he thought to himself. He shook his head slightly as he realized the turn his thoughts were taking. He was jealous.

"Well, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a few other patients to check on now that I am satisfied with Itachi's progress." she told them as she prepared to leave. She turned to leave, and gasped as Itachi reached out to grab her wrist. She looked at him, and saw that he was starring at her intently with an emotion that she could not quite identify.

"You'll return later?" he asked. It was framed as a question, but he said it more as if it was an order. Bemused, she nodded and he released her. She stood there looking into his eyes for another few minutes, until she became aware of what she was doing. She blushed a deep red and muttered a goodbye under her breath as she practically ran for the door.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Kakashi let out a full deep chuckle. He laughed for several minutes, and then got himself under control. He approached Itachi's bedside with a grin on his face. The injured man scowled at the Copy Ninja. He knew that his old friend was going to have some smart ass comment to make about his behavior towards Hinata. Sure enough, he did not have to wait long.

"Jealous much?" Kakashi just laughed again at the glare Itachi aimed at him. Suddenly, he grew serious and searched the Uchiha's face.

"I would appreciate some answers old friend…."

Hinata ran into the women's bathroom and hid quickly in one of the stalls. She covered her flaming cheeks as she groaned to herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid…she cursed at herself. How can I possibly allow myself to feel this way again? A few tears rolled down her face as she tried to convince herself that what she was feeling was not love.

Sure, she found him attractive, any woman would. He had beautiful long hair, deep onyx eyes, a straight aquiline nose, high cheekbones, with a sharply cut jaw line. And his lips were perfect also, not too thin or too thick. Perfect really, very kissable. Not to mention, he had an incredible body, a deep sexy voice, he was noble, loyal, self- sacrificing, a loving big brother, and …..oh god! I AM in love with him! She was hit with a wave of dizziness.

She shut her eyes and forced herself to take deep breathes. I will not faint, I will not faint, I will not faint…she chanted to herself. Eventually, the dizzy feeling faded and she was able to regain a semblance of calm. I just can't let myself think about this right now. I have a job to do, and other patients that are depending on me. Later, I'll think about it later. Hinata sighed deeply, knowing in her heart that it was too late. She was in love with Itachi Uchiha. It wasn't just his looks, though she had to admit they certainly did not hurt anything. It was his skill, his loyal, the very strength of his will, his heart that had caused her to fall for him before she had every laid eyes on him. She wanted to be the one to sooth him, to let him know that he wasn't a monster, to make him happy. She wanted to be his reason to live.


	8. Chapter 8

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (AND I AM COMPLETELY BUMMED OUT THAT I DIDN'T THINK OF IT FIRST)

"Oh my god, this is…evil! How could they even think that this was the right thing to do! They were going to SLAUGHTER them! Even the children, the babies…" Sakura broke down crying. Sasuke leaned up against the wall, feeling strangely numb. Surrounding him was proof that the two head elders and Danzo had betrayed not only the Uchiha clan but the Leaf village itself. After negotiations had fallen through, the three had conspired behind the Third's back and ordered Danzo's ROOT division to annihilate the clan. According to the Third's private diary, the three believed that only by making an example of the Uchiha clan, would the problem be solved. They had wanted to insure that none of the other clans would ever think about uprising against the Leaf. The orders were to brutally kill each member right down to the babies, and then capture the head family. His mother, father, grandparents, himself, and Itachi were all to be given a private 'trial' and then executed, their bodies displayed for everyone to see what happened to traitors of the Leaf.

Itachi had been heavily involved in trying to push through a peaceful solution to the clan's demands for more influence in the village council. The meeting logs showed how he had attending each time and offered excellent options to both sides. Again and again, his suggestions were shot down by either his own clan or the village council. Neither were willing to back down. At the final meeting before the massacre, the Uchiha clan representatives had stormed out, threatening civil war if their demands were not met. It was that night that the head elders and Danzo had made their own decision.

The Third had gotten wind of their plans at the last minute and sent Itachi to intercept the ROOT operatives. After he had dispatched them, he returned to find that the rest of the council had decided that while the head elders and Danzo's plan had been extremely brutal, the Uchiha clan had sealed their fate the minute they threatened the village. Both the Third and Itachi had personally pleaded with the council to reconsider, to exile the clan instead, but their requests were denied. The council felt like the clan's threat to cause a civil war was proof that they would not leave the village without a bloody conflict. After the meeting, the Third had taken Itachi into his private quarters and they had made their own deal.

Sarutobi had revealed to the young man that it was not just his clan that was causing unrest, but that two other clans were also starting to make demands of their own. Civil war seemed to be imminent, and that was why the council was reacting so strongly to the open threat the Uchiha clan had made. They were going to make an example of them to put a stop to the rebellion of the clans. The village was already at a low point, they were just starting to recover from the combined losses of the Third Ninja War and the Nine-tails attack. The village would have been completely destroyed by a civil war.

When Itachi realized that he was not going to be able to avert the tragedy that was going to happen, he negotiated a trade with the Third. In exchange for Sasuke's life, he would execute the clan himself, and take all the blame. This would prevent the council and Hokage from having to admit that they ordered the massacre, and opening themselves to attack from the other clans. The balance of clan power was delicate and had been wavering on a shaky edge. The massacre had the potential to push that balance into either an uneasy peace or open civil war. Itachi's offer gave the Third another option which he had no choice but to accept. He agreed to spare Sasuke's life and watch over him after Itachi left. He, in return, demanded that Itachi infiltrate the criminal organization that was gaining power. In Sarutobi's private journal, he wrote that he had demanded that part of the exchange in order to prevent Itachi from killing himself. He knew what killing the clan would do to the young man's psyche and he did not want to lose him. He was hoping that sometime in the future, the last two Uchiha could be reconciled and repopulate the clan. He had not agreed with the council's decision, but when negotiations had fallen through, they had out voted him. They had threatened to force him to resign, believing that his insistence on a peaceful solution was both unrealistic and dangerous.

So he had made his private deal with Itachi, and did what he could to ensure that the Uchiha clan would not be completely eradicated. He agreed to kept all the proceedings secret from Sasuke, and to ensure that he would not be harmed in exchange for Itachi's continued allegiance to the village. What he had not taken in to account was Itachi's own resolve to die at Sasuke's hand. When he had learned what had been said between the brothers that night, he had done his best to counteract the hatred that was growing in the younger Uchiha, but the younger man grew colder with each passing day. He had recorded his fears about the path that Sasuke would take, and in the end, his predictions had proven to be correct.

As he processed everything he had learned, Sasuke felt a burning sensation rise up in his chest. He forced himself to remain objective, and reached for Itachi journal. As he read, he learned about the way both the ANBU leaders and his own clan had put an almost unbearable pressure on Itachi. Each wanted Itachi to betray the other side by pretending to be loyal while reporting back to them. In his journal, he filled pages with his bitterness and frustration with his situation. His despair that he would be forced to participate in more mass killings like the war, only this time he would be forced to face either his kin or his comrades. He read about Itachi's nightmares from the war, how he was haunted by the reoccurring images of everything he had been forced to do to survive the conflict. It was all there, every thought, every feeling, his brother's agony at the choice he was being forced to make. His brothers' loyalty had been poised between his family and his great need for peace. In the end, he had been forced to choose peace, but he had done his best to protect Sasuke, while he sacrificed what was left of his life.

As Sasuke closed the journal, he was unaware of the tears that poured down his face. He finally understood his brother's choice. The damage to his brothers' mind caused by being forced to kill as a child. The war had created a deep need in Itachi for peace. While he saw no way out of the path chosen for him short of death, he longed to stop causing death. Each time he was forced to kill, a little more of his soul had been chipped away. His brother had been retreated emotionally to protect his own mind. As memories flashed through him of his interactions with Itachi, he saw with new eyes the actions of his older brother. The warmth followed by coldness, his real reason for being reluctant to train Sasuke, the tension between his family, it all make sense to him now.

He looked at the envelope with his name on it, and realized that he did not want to read anymore. The burning in his chest had grown to the point where he felt that he was going to explode. He shut his eyes as he tried to control the rage he felt-he wanted to go kill every member of the council. He was shaking with need to see their terror as they were faced with the monster they had helped to create. Darkness rose up from his very soul as he fought his desire to kill those responsible for ruining his life. In the back of his mind, a small rational part of him recognized the fact that his own family was just as responsible for what had happened as the council. They were untouchable in death, but the council was not. They needed to be punished. In that second, all the hatred that he had felt for Itachi shifted to the council and Danzo. He rose slowly to his feet, and looked up at his friends.

"Sa-sasuke?" Sakura stammered as she walked towards him slowly. His eyes were red and swirling. There was nothing sane about the expression on his face. Her concern turned to horror as she realized that he had been pushed over the edge by what he had learned. She began to shake with fear, she had seen him like this once before, and had desperately hoped to never see that look in his eyes ever again.

"Teme?" Naruto questioned him.

"They have to die, Naruto, every last one of them." Sasuke said it slowly, his voice flat and emotionless. His chakra flexed out from him, the killing intent in it so strong that the others in the room instinctively backed away from him, preparing to defend themselves. He turned to leave the room, barely hearing the pleading of his friends as he set out to find the first council member. He easily killed the two ANBU members that stepped in front of him, and walked down the hallway intent on his goal. He saw Hinata walking down the hallway towards him, her head down. As he passed her, he saw her head shoot up and she starred at him with a growing horror. He ignored her reaction and walked on, not considering her a threat. He was unprepared for what happened next.

Hinata darted behind him and struck him in several spots along his spine. He fell to the ground, flat on his face. He was instantly consumed with a strong feeling of betrayal.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND! YOU LOVE HIM TOO!" he screamed at her. He struggled to move, but whatever she had done had completely paralyzed him. She leaned down until she could speak directly into his ear.

"This is not the way. He did everything to save you. Not just your life, but your innocence, your soul. He did not want you to ever feel this darkness. Killing them won't bring him peace. It will only cause more pain. Are you going to sacrifice everything good in your life- will you let them win? If you do this your friends will be forced to hunt you down and kill you. They will consider Itachi too dangerous to be allowed to live. The Uchiha clan will be truly gone. Is that what you want? Don't do this Sasuke!" she whispered to him desperately.

Her words penetrated the haze of his mind, and he stopped struggling. He rolled his eyes up to meet hers and saw she was afraid. He knew that she was speaking the truth. He shut his eyes and concentrated on forcing his rage under control. Several long minutes passed, and when he opened his eyes again, they were onyx, his Sharigan deactivated. He looked at her, and she gazed intently into his eyes, searching for the truth to his state of mind. He allowed the contact, instinctively knowing that she would not release him until he was back under control of himself. He could feel the other surrounding him, hanging back anxiously as they waited for her to complete her examination. She heaved a grateful sigh as she was assured that he was okay and quickly reopened his chakra points, and helped him to his feet.

He was taken into custody by the ANBU sent for reinforcement, and escorted back to the Hokage's office. As they reached the door. He stopped and turned to her.

"I am right aren't I? You love him, don't you?" he asked softly. She blushed a deep red and looked away from him quickly. It was enough to confirm her feelings to the young man. He smirked at her, but his eyes contained gratitude.

"Thank you, Hinata." he said as he was pushed into the Hokage's office.


	9. Chapter 9

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

"**So that is what really happened, eh? I thought as much, well at least, I had my suspicions. In the time I had gotten to know you, all my instincts led me to believe that you were a man of peace. It is nice to know that I was right and my friend is not a cold-blooded killer." Kakashi said.**

"**That's where you are wrong." Itachi regarded him with coldly, his face impassive. Kakaski grinned at the younger man.**

"**Yeah, I could tell how 'cold-blooded' you were feeling towards the little beauty earlier. Every inch of you was totally **_**stone**_** cold." He laughed at the look of chagrin that crossed Itachi's face briefly.**

"**Well, it would be pointless for me to deny it, especially considering how that damn heart monitor keeps giving me away. Thank god she seemed not to notice." Itachi said ruefully. Kakashi merely started laughing at him again.**

"**She is the most innocent woman I know. And the most modest. She has no idea that three-quarters of the male population is panting after her. You should see her in a bathing suit…" Kakashi's eye gleamed as he was obviously remembering the voluptuous curves of the young woman. He was startled when he heard a low growl come from Itachi's throat.**

"**So that's how it is, hmm? Well, good luck!. So far no man has been able to get passed her father and her older cousin Neji. Any man that so much as looks at her gets warned off. The one fool who was stupid enough to smack her in the ass spent a week in the hospital courtesy of Neji. Between the two of us, I suspect he has a thing for his cousin. I know that her old teammates do. It is almost sad really, the way she is totally oblivious to her own charms." The older ninja smiled at the jealousy on his friend's face. He watched as the younger man breathed deeply and closed his eyes. **

"**Regardless of my feelings towards Hinata, I would never dishonor her by starting a relationship." He stated firmly. Kakashi frowned and stood up a little straighter.**

"**And why not may I ask?" He queried in a slightly irritated tone.**

"**She is too pure for me. She does not deserve to be tied to someone as soiled as I am. I would just drag her down, the village would treat her poorly because of me. I couldn't ask that of any woman, let alone someone as gentle and sensitive as Hinata. She deserves so much better." He said stoically. His expression was nearly unreadable, but Kakashi detected despair deep in his eyes.**

**The Copy Ninja starred at the other man intently. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to feel worthless for not being able to protect your loved ones. He was also a child prodigy sent out to fight before he was ready. He had also suffered the loss of his family and all those closest to him because he was not strong enough to save them. It was a wound that lay open in the bottom of your soul. But he also knew that you had to grab happiness where you found it. Life was short and bitter enough as it was without intentionally closing yourself off from the good things that came your way. And Hinata Hyuuga was the best woman any man could hope to possess. Just like her name, she was a sunny place in their harsh world. If anyone deserved a little sunshine it was Itachi.**

"**Itachi, no man is worthy of a woman such as Hinata. Maybe what you should think about is how she feels about you. You may have the right to make decisions for yourself, but she has the right to decide for herself if she thinks the consequences of being with you is worth the risk. From what I saw, she is well on her way to reciprocating your feelings. If so, it's not only about what you think is right, is about what she thinks as well." He told the younger man wisely.**

**Itachi considered what Kakashi was telling him. He didn't want to feel like he was corrupting yet another thing in his life. She did not deserve to be associated with the taint of his actions. Even if the Hokage revealed the truth to everyone about why he had killed his family and joined the Atkatski, the fact was, he had still killed an entire clan single-handedly. The fear that his actions had inspired was not going to go away, nor would he ever be truly trusted by his fellow villagers. Some part of them would always be afraid that he would go rogue, and truthfully, he could not blame them. How could a man that was capable of killing his own family be trustworthy? If he couldn't forgive himself, how could he expect the villagers and his colleagues to forgive him?**

**Was it fair to drag an innocent woman into the mess that was his life? Could he ask Hinata to join him in his disgraced state? Even if Kakashi was right, and she was starting to love him back, it would be extremely selfish of him to expose her to the scorn of the villagers just so that he wouldn't be alone anymore. Still, she was a grown woman, a kuniochi, and she had the right to choose her own path. Did he have to right to take away her choice? He knew that if he ever did enter into a relationship with her, he would be totally committed to her happiness. They had the potential to have a good life together, especially if they focused on each other and not what everyone else thought.**

**He looked over at Kakashi and saw that his friend was regarding him with a tiny smirk. He knew that Kakashi believed that it was too late for him to stop. His obvious attraction to and jealousy over Hinata was set. The question was: what to do about it? For the first time in a long time, Itachi had no idea how to proceed, and it was a highly uncomfortable state to be in for a man who was normally sure of his path.**


	10. Chapter 10

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

Special Note: Please go vote in the poll on my profile! I am trying to decide which pairing to write about next...

"Six months for each life, to be spent in the Black Ops detention center. You will be bound with chakra handcuffs and allowed one visitor per day after the first month. That is my decision and it is final. Be lucky that you got off that easy, Uchiha." Tsunade stated hatefully.

"I understand, and thank you." The younger Uchiha said quietly. The Hokage eyeballed him, unsure if he was mocking her or not. In the past, he had missed no opportunity be sarcastic towards her, often to the point of borderline insubordination. As she starred into his eyes, she was surprised to see traces of real gratitude mixed with a hint of shame. Hmm, interesting, she thought to herself. Maybe he is finally growing up, she mused.

"Very well, your sentence begins in two minutes, first you may say goodbye to Naruto and Sakura." She turned away and motioned to the ANBU guards to join her. Sasuke walked over to Sakura, intending to hug her and get a kiss that would have to hold him over for a month. She hesitated and then hugged him back, but before he could kiss her on the lips, she turned her head quickly, and his lips fell on her cheek instead. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Oh god, she afraid of me! He let her go abruptly and backed away from her, his hands held out in front of him. Numbly, he turned towards his best friend and found the understanding he needed. Naruto was obviously aware of Sakura's feelings and felt sorry for them both. He shrugged and darted his eyes towards the pinkette who was standing with her back turned to them and her arms holding herself tightly. Sasuke interpreted this to mean that he would work on her for him while he was in jail. He nodded to his friend, and gave him a small smile that pulled up the corner of his lips briefly.

The ANBU guards came forward and handcuffed him then pushed him roughly out of the room. He knew that he was in for a lot of pain. Tsunade had given them a month to get their payback before anyone was allowed to see him. It was her way of making sure the ANBU felt he was receiving a real punishment for the deaths of their comrades. As soon as they were out of hearing range, he found himself shoved face first onto the ground with a hard knee pressing into his spine.

"Just so you know, traitor, one those men you killed was Ibiki Morino's nephew. I am sure that he will be happy to come _visit_ you." The ANBU member chuckled darkly, a promise of pain in his voice. Sasuke paled slightly. He had already tasted Ibiki's idea of hospitality when he first came back to the village. The man was a sadist that enjoyed his work. Hopefully he would still be alive for someone to visit by the time the month was up.

.

.

.

"What was that about Sakura?" Naruto confronted her. Sakura turned towards him, and he could see the tears falling down her face.

"Naruto, I don't know if I can keep doing this!" she sobbing as she threw herself at him. He hugged her to him, and patted her on the back soothingly.

"What are you talking about Sakura?" he asked her gently.

"He isn't sane anymore Naruto. He is constantly on the edge, and I feel like he could turn on me in a moment. I'm _scared_ of him! But I still love him so much! I just don't think that I can handle him losing control like this over and over. I just don't know…" she broke off, crying hard as she buried her face into his shoulder. Naruto held her tighter as he shared a look of understanding with Tsunade.

When Sasuke first came back to the village, Sakura had avoided him. In fact, she had been dating Naruto. He had gently broken up with her, knowing that she had unresolved feelings for Sasuke. He didn't want her to stay with him out of a misguided sense of loyalty. As the months went by, Sasuke started to court her relentlessly and she had finally given in. Setting his feelings for her aside, Naruto had been happy to see his two most precious people happy together. So he buried his sadness and encouraged them both in their relationship.

Now he didn't know what to do. It was obvious that Sakura didn't feel safe with Sasuke anymore. Maybe she never had, and he had made a big mistake pushing her away. He sighed and laid his head down over hers, breathing in her unique scent of cherry blossoms and something that was just Sakura. He starred into Tsunade's eyes before shutting them at the smugness they contained. He knew that the older woman thought he was an idiot for breaking up with Sakura in the first place. She had told him so outright months ago. This turn of events probably delighted her.

He knew that it wasn't as cut and dry as she considered it to be. His feelings towards both Sakura and Sasuke were all over the place. He loved them both deeply and was highly protective of them. More than his own happiness, he wanted them to be happy. All those years he had pursued Sasuke, he had done so for Sakura just as much as for himself. She had loved Sasuke for so long, and Sasuke had so much pain in his short life. He thought deep down that they deserved to be together. On the other hand, he knew that he would never love another woman as much as he loved Sakura. Those few months that they had dated had been some of the happiest of his entire life.

Now that Sakura was so upset he was having second thoughts about his decision to let her go. If she couldn't get over this fear of Sasuke, they would never have a good relationship. Which left the door open for him to step in and claim her. But could he do that to Sasuke? The man was like the brother that he had never had, and he was trusting Naruto to watch over Sakura, not steal her away for himself. He sighed deeply, and allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her in his arms as he comforted her. This at least, he was sure was the right thing to do at the moment. Beyond this moment, he didn't have a clue about what he was going to do.


	11. Chapter 11

_I DO NOT OWN NARUTO __L_

_Watching as Hinata fiddled nervously with his heart monitor wires, Itachi was unsure of what to say to her. He had learned from Kakashi that she was the one that had stopped Sasuke from going on a killing spree. So once again, he owed her an enormous debt. Sometimes when he was alone in his room at night he was sure that there was no way Hinata could possible be real. No woman was this perfect. But then she would do yet another thing that was incredibly unselfish, and he would find himself falling a little more under her spell. Today, he was determined to thank her, but he was unsure as to what to say. Clearing his throat, he decided to wing it._

"_Hyuuga-san- I want to thank you for what you did for my little brother." He told her. Hinata met his eyes briefly and then darted back down to the wires in her hands._

"_I just did what was needed, you don't have to thank me." She said hesitantly._

"_Still, you have done many things for the both of us and I wanted to thank you. Nobody else would have helped us like this. Except for a few others, everyone else in the village considers us to be traitors, so I-" he trailed of his statement awkwardly._

"_It is unfair how everyone treats you! If there was any betrayal going on, it was towards you, not the other way around!" She exclaimed harshly, and then raised her hands up to cover her mouth. He looked up in shock, and discovered that she was as surprised by her outburst as he was. His eyes searched hers and the admiration and love he saw there floored him. They starred into each other's eyes and he allowed her to see everything he felt for her openly. She gasped and tears filled her eyes, with one escaping and gliding down her cheek. He reached up slowly and gently wiped it away, cupping her cheek. Hinata let out a quivering sigh and leaned into his hand, closing her eyes. They stayed like this for several more minutes. Eventually, she pulled away and headed for the door. _

"_Hinata-wait!" He called out with a quiet urgency. She turned almost reluctantly. The knowledge he returned her feeling was not something she was ready to talk about openly. She wanted to get home and examine everything that was swirling around her head quietly. She walked back to his bedside slowly._

"_Yes, Itachi-san?" She inquired hesitantly._

"_Will you do a favor for me?" He asked her._

"_If I can, what do you need?" She asked curious as to what he wanted._

"_Could you visit Sasuke and let me know how he is doing?" He said cajolingly. She looked up at his face again, and blushed at the look on his face. He looked almost boyish as he begged her silently with his ebony eyes. So kawaii…kami help me! _Her blushed deepened and she quickly looked away from him as her heart began to race.

"Ha-ai." She stuttered with a small bow before running out of the room. She thought she heard him chuckle, but she didn't stop her headlong rush down the hospital corridor. She didn't stop running until she reached the nurses locker room. Collasping down onto the bench, she held her hands up over her burning cheeks. _He loves me!_

She spent several minutes lost in thought before she registered the fact that someone was sobbing in one of the cubicles. Checking with her enhanced vision, she was surprised to find it was her friend Sakura.

"Sakura-chan?" She called out softly. There was muffled gasp, and then Sakura called out.

"Hai Hinata-chan?" It was obvious that she had been crying for some time, her voice was hoarse.

"What is the matter? Can I help you?" Hinata was concerned for her friend. Sakura had developed into a strong woman that no longer cried as easily as she had in the past. Something must be really upsetting her to cause her to break down like this at the hospital. She waited patiently for Sakura to confide in her. After a few minutes passed, the pinkette emerged from the cubicle and sat down on the bench beside Hinata. She looked terrible. Her hair was disheveled, and it was obvious by the dark circles under her eyes that she hadn't been sleeping well. She scrubbed her tears away carelessly, leaving her cheeks red.

"I don't know what to do anymore. I love Sasuke- I really do. But Hinata, I am so scared of him! You saw what he was like that day! Nothing I could do was going to stop him. I've always known that he had a dark side to him, that is was impossible for him to fully relaxed or happy given what happened to his family….but I am afraid that he will never be stable. How can I stay with someone that I am scared of? How can I marry him if I don't trust him not to hurt me?" She asked hysterically as she threw herself into Hinata's waiting arms.

Hinata held Sakura while she cried, patting her back, and whispering soft words of comfort. She was troubled by this revelation. She knew that Sasuke constantly tettered on the edge of good and evil. She was highly sensitive as a Hyuuga to the emotional state of others. Every time she was around him it was uncomfortable, because of the vibes he put off. If Sakura abandoned him, what would that do to his remaining sanity? He had already been through so much loss. Her heart went out to the younger Uchiha, and her decision to do as Itachi wished and visit him in jail was strengthened. As Sakura pulled back and walked over to wash her face, Hinata considered what advice she should give her friend. On one hand she was worried about what would happen to Sasuke, but on the other, she was one of Sakura's best friends. There was no way that she could encourage her to stay in a relationship with someone she was afraid of. When Sakura came over and sat back down, Hinata reached over and grabbed her hand.

"I think you know what your heart is telling you is the right thing to do. You just don't want to hurt him, do you?" She asked gently. Green eyes met compassionate lavendar ones, and Sakura began to tear up again.

"What should I do Hina-chan? How can I tell him that I'll always love him, but he scares me too much to be with him. Then there's Naruto. We never stopped loving each other, but it would be a worse betrayal for us to get back together after all that has happened." She put her head down into her hands and sobbed exhaustedly.

"If you can't face him, write him a letter explaining your feelings. I know that Sasuke is emotionally vulnerable, but at the same time everything that he has been through has forced him to be strong as well. He loves you enough to want you to be happy. He loves Naruto also. Maybe you will never be friends again, but I don't believe you have to worry about him going on a rampage because you dumped him. Trust in his strength. I already promised Itach, I mean Uchiha-san, that I would go visit him. I will do what I can to help him for you as well." Hinata grunted as Sakura pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh my god, Hinata, I love you! You would do that for us?" Sakura asked her hopefully. Hinata nodded and moved gently out of her friend's painful embrace.

"I wish that I was a strong as you Hina-chan. You may be small, and I know that you think that you are weaker than the rest of us, but I think that you are one of the strongest. I know that if you were in my position, you would find a way past the fear, and love Sasuke no matter what. I wish that I was as strong as you." Sakura said with a hint of envy in her voice.

Hinata looked at her friend in astonishment. _She thinks I am strong? Then why do I feel so weak?_


	12. Chapter 12

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO L

Hinata strolled towards her house slowly. A millions different thoughts were swirling through her head. They chased after each other one after another, and she couldn't focus on any one thing. When the Hyuuga compound was in site, she realized that she couldn't go home in the state of confusion that she was experiencing. Hinata swerved and headed for her secret spot. Going into the woods, she quickened her pace until she was at the one spot where she usually came with the pressures of life became to much for her.

Many years ago, when she was a mere genin, she had stumbled on this place with her Byakugan. It was hidden from normal eyes by a thick stand of trees and bushes. She squeezed through two trees and emerged into a small clearing. There was a rock wall about thirty feet tall, with a small waterfall that flowed down over it. The rocks on either side were moss covered with small bunches of flowers growing here and there. At the base of the wall, the fall produced a natural pool that was roughly ten feet deep in the middle. The trees and shrubbery that surrounded the small waterfall formed an almost perfect half circle around it, and the soft fine grass that covered the ground was dotted with patches of flowers. Over the years, Hinata had planted a few of the flower in a spot around a pile of rocks that she had placed there as a memorial to her mother. She often spoke to her mother out loud here, even though she was never answered, it comforted her to talk out her problems.

She walked over to the small memorial and knelt down, weeding the patch of flowers. It had been some time since she had last gotten to visit, and there were weeds strangling out the flowers.

"I am sorry it has been so long since my last visit Mother. It has been really busy at the hospital and with all the extra training I am doing, it is getting harder and harder to find any free time. You know all about Father's unrealistic expectations, but I don't think I have gotten to come talk to you since Itachi was placed under my care. Would you like to hear all about him? I wish that you were here so that you could give me some advice." She paused in her narrative, taking comfort in the small wind that caressed her body. She pretended that such things were her mother responding to her.

"He is an incredibly strong man. He is kind and peace loving, but he is also highly skilled in combat. Itachi is also really intelligent. And self-sacrificing. Did I mention that he is totally hot as well. My heart beats out of my chest just at the sight of him! All in all, he is out of my league, Mother. I suppose that it is inevitable that I fell in love with him. He is everything in a man that I ever dreamed about. His life has been so hard- it should have broken him long ago. Actually, it almost did, but I stopped him. At least, I think it was what I told him that helped.

Today when our eyes locked I saw love, gratitude, and desire in his eyes. Could it be true? Can I trust what I saw? What if it was just me wanting to see my feelings returned? I feel so unsure of him and myself right now. All those years I wasted loving Naruto, and then breaking down- I don't think I am strong enough to do it again. What should I do Mother? It is times like this that I miss you the most. I need your guidance so badly right now. Should I put myself out there one last time? Sakura-chan says that I am strong, but I feel weak most of the time." Hinata lowered her face down into her hands and gave into her emotions, crying hard. Suddenly, the soft wind stopped blowing and a single sunbeam broke through the clouds, it's light shining down covering Hinata. She looked up in shock.

"Mother?" She asked in awe. For a brief second, she thought she saw her mother. Soft words ran through her head, her mother's voice that she hadn't heard since she was five, but she would never forget it. **Love them, my little sunny patch, just love them, and trust what is in your heart. It will guide you as surely as I would if I could be with you.**

The beam of light receded back, swallowed back up by the clouds. Hinata sat there in astonishment, wondering desperately if she had just experienced what she thought she had. After a few minutes, she wiped the tears off her face, and smiled. She reached out and caressed the petals of one of the white lilies she planted long ago.

"Thank you Mother." She stayed for another hour, thinking and taking a swim in the cool soothing pool. As she departed, she glanced back at her mother's memorial stones. _I won't forget, Mother._


	13. Chapter 13

_I DO NOT OWN NARUTO __L_

_Sasuke gazed hazily up at the small window at the top of his cell, high up on the wall. He saw that the night was giving way to dawn, and he reached over to scratch another mark on the wall beside his bed. Finally, the first month is over….Sakura and Naruto should be coming to visit._ He winced at the pain in his body as he torturously pulled himself up into a sitting position. As promised by the ANBU guard, Ibiki did indeed get his revenge for the death of his nephew. Every one of the past thirty days, Sasuke had been beaten to the point of death, and then partially healed so that he could be abused again the next day. It was a cycle that almost seemed normal to him at this point. He endured it as stoically as possible, after all, he had killed two innocent men.

Most of his time was spent thinking about the events of his life and trying to come to terms with everything that he had learned. During the daily beatings, escaping into his mind had been essential for survival, but at night he had been unable to fall to sleep easily from all the emotions that he was processing. He had come to several conclusions, and they led him to an understanding as to why the council had acted the way it had. He still didn't forget them, but he understood their decision. His feelings for Itachi were all over the place, but he was sure that he loved his brother and admired him for his strength. Sasuke still wasn't sure if he could ever forgive him totally, but after discovering the truth, he understood that Itachi had done the best he could given the situation, and that everything he had done was to protect his little brother.

He spend a lot of time wondering how everyone was doing- Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, Itachi, and surprisingly enough, Hinata. He felt that he owed her a huge debt. Twice she had altered his mind set with her wisdom and courage, and stopped him from making big mistakes. Where would he be now if she hadn't stopped him? His mind lingered on her finer qualities, and he was glad that she had fallen in love with his brother. Itachi deserved some happiness, and he had no doubt that a woman as special as Hinata would make any man a wonderful wife. His aniki had always been a highly intelligent man- he wouldn't be stupid enough to let some a woman like Hinata fall through his fingers. He chuckled weakly as he wondered how long it would take Itachi to make her his. Three months? Six months? Maybe the Hokage would give him a special release to go to the wedding?

He moaned quietly to himself as he moved to the edge of the narrow bunk. Getting up in the morning was especially painful, before he stretched out his sore muscles. He gingerly raised himself and bit back a moan of pain. He walked over to the sink and splashed some water over his face and hair. Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair in a futile attempt to bring some order to it_. It's a good thing that Sakura loves me, otherwise my looks alone would scare her off right now. _He smiled briefly to himself as he tried to imagine what he looked like.

The raven haired young man began his daily series of stretches, a necessity to keep his abused body from settling into a state of painful stiffness. His mood was a sunny as it could be considering that he was stuck in hell. He was going to get to see Sakura today. Actually, he was surprised that she wasn't here already considering that he expected her to practically beat down the door to see him. _Maybe she got held up at the hospital? Well, Naruto should be here soon at least… _

His body tensed in anticipation as he heard the lock on the cell door open. His bright look of expectation fell when he saw that it was just Ibiki with his breakfast of burned oatmeal and water. For the first time, the scarred man was smiling at him, as he handed him a letter. Sasuke felt a strange premonition of dread take him over at that smile. Ibiki was never pleasant with him unless it involved a great deal of pain. He reached out hesitantly for the letter, and waited for the man to leave. Ibiki chuckled under his breathe as he left the cell. Sasuke waited for the clink of the lock turning before he allowed himself to read the letter.

He recognized Sakura's handwriting with its distinct swirls and loops. He opened it and began to read with anticipation that quickly changed to a numb disbelief.

_Dear Sasuke,_

_I don't know how to say this, so I will just come right out with it. I can't marry you. I knew that when you came back, you were not the Sasuke that I had once been so in love with, that you were a darker man entirely. As you pursued me with such determination and tenderness, I allowed myself to believe that you had changed into a more peaceful, safe person. You awakened all the feelings that had laid unresolved when you left the village. I talked myself into ignoring my worries about your darker side, but I can no longer do so._

_I am afraid of you. That day in the Hokage's office, the look in your eyes. There was nothing sane there. Sasuke, you didn't recognize me, or even hesitate on your way out the door to go on a killing spree. What if something set you off after we were married, what would you do then? I just can't live with the fear of it. I am so sorry. I wish that I was a strong enough woman to love and support you no matter what. But I'm not. Oh god, you don't know how much it hurt to make this decision. I have never wanted to hurt you, even when you left, even when you tried to kill me that one time. Never. I am so sorry. You will always carried a piece of my heart, but I just can't let go of my fear. I hate myself for causing you pain. All I can say is sorry, and maybe one day you can forgive me._

_Love always,_

_Sakura_

Sasuke sat on the bed in a state of shock. His fingers shook as he read the letter a second time. He noticed the tearstains, and it began to sink in that this wasn't a joke. Sakura was dead serious. She was dumping him. He dropped the letter and threw his head back as a scream of pain rose from his throat. He fell to the floor, and grabbed his head with both hands pulling on his hair. _I can't believe this, I can't believe this, I wouldn't believe this…she can't abandon me like this! Oh god Sakura! _The lock on the cell door turned once again, and Sasuke turned away quickly.

"How did you enjoy your 'Dear John' letter? Hurts doesn't it?" Ibiki stated slyly with more than a hint of cruel satisfaction in his voice. He stepped forward, and Sasuke heard the crack of the black leather whip the scarred man preferred. His back hunch defensively as he prepared himself subconsciously for the pain that was about to follow.

"I suppose that having your heart ripped out by the woman you love should be enough punishment for the day, but I am feeling about as merciful as you did when you killed Hidaiki." Ibiki spit out the name as he cracked the whip across Sasuke back. The raven haired man bite back his moan of pain, trying his damndest not to give Ibiki the satisfaction of knowing he had scored a blow to his heart along with his body.

"It's pathetic really- she dumps you for your best friend. Of course, it shouldn't be that much of a shock really. They were happy together before Naruto dragged your sorry ass back to Kohona." He lashed out again, this time on Sasuke's ribcage. The younger man whipped around to face him, anger marring his features.

"You're a fucking liar! Naruto would never do that to me!" He lunged at Ibiki, only to fall gasping to the ground as his chakra restraints drained the life out of him. He heard the older man walk over to him, laughing.

"Are you kidding me? Naruto has always been in love with her! Why wouldn't he jump at the chance to be with her now that you've fucked up your chance? The boy is smarter than he used to be." The whip bit deeply across his back once more. Over and over again, the whip cracked across his back, until finally the flesh was flayed open. He fell into a state of numbness, barely realizing that Ibiki had left as images of Naruto and Sakura embracing ran through his mind in an endless loop.

_How could they do this to me- I trusted them! Never again!_


	14. Chapter 14

_I DO NOT OWN NARUTO_

_Hinata waited for a week after Sakura has sent her letter, before carefully preparing a bento box with all of the special foods that Itachi remembered as Sasuke's favorites. Since their unspoken declaration of love, the two had grown closer. There was less tension between them, and they spend most of their time together talking and getting to know one another. They found that they shared many similar beliefs and values. They even enjoyed the same books and music. Certain subjects were avoided, such as politics, and anything to do with the Uchiha clan. Itachi gave her several training tips, and explained some of the mistakes she was making while performing one of the jutsu she was attempting to master for the exam. He even promised to help her train when he was healed and released. She felt both humbled and excited that someone of his caliber was willing to train her._

_Tsunade had come to discuss the terms of his reentry into Kohona society. At first, he had not wanted to continue as a shin obi, but she asked him to wait until the Atkatski was defeated before he retired. He had agreed reluctantly after pointing out to her that he had transferred over half his more advanced techniques to Sasuke in their last fight. Tsunade insisted that since he had mastered the them once, he should be able to do so again with little difficulty. Though it irritated him, he felt that he could not in good conscious leave the village without the protection of what was left of a loyal Uchiha clan. It would have been a different matter if Sasuke had not landed himself in jail, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. After she left his room, satisfied to have gotten his agreement, Hinata entered and told him what was going on in his little brother's love life. He advised her to wait a few days before visiting, as he knew that Sasuke would not accept any visitors until he had time to brood a little. _

_They discussed the best approach to take, knowing that he would be both emotionally distant (aka rude as hell), and on the look out for any sign that he was being pitied. It was decided that Hinata would start visiting everyday before her shift with a bento box of his favorites, and if he asked why she was doing it, she would tell him that Itachi had asked her to. They were both sure that he would reject any gestures of friendship or sympathy. And so, Hinata found herself on the way to the jail to visit her love's brother._

_The guards were surprised to see her at first, and then reluctant to allow her access to Sasuke. It took her assuming the cold demeanor and authority of the Hyuuga heiress, before they finally escorted her back to his cell. She entered and was appalled to find his laying on his stomach in the bed, his back a mass of infected wounds. Hinata whipped around to face the guards, and they were shocked by the rage that appeared on the gentle woman's face. _

"_Who is responsible for this?" She asked frigidly._

"_Ibiki-san is in charge of the Uchiha's stay here." One of the guards told her reluctantly._

"_You may inform him that I will be reporting the unacceptable treatment of the prisoner to the Hokage personally. I understand that prison is not supposed to be a pleasant place, but to leave a fellow human being in this shape is a violation of the law regarding the proper treatment of inmates." She told them in a voice dripping with anger and disgust._

"_I will require clean bandages and several bowls of boiled water. I suggest that you cooperate or Ibiki's name will not be the only one mentioned in my complaint." She threatened. The guards left quickly to do her bidding. While Ibiki scared them, a furious Tsunade was scarier. Hinata turned back to Sasuke, and was surprised to see a small grin on his face._

"_You are fierce when you go into protective mode, Princess." He told her weakly. Hinata blushed, and walked back over to his bedside, leaning down to inspect his wounds more closely._

"_I don't care who you killed- you are a fellow human being and not an animal. They should show some basic human compassion." She huffed, slightly miffed as she felt that he was making fun of her. The grin left his face, and his onyx eyes took on a hard gleam._

"_Most of the world is not as compassionate as you are, Princess." He told her quietly. The guards reentered the room with the items she requested and bowed their way out of the cell, locking it behind them. Hinata reached into her knapsack of supplies, glad that she had thought to bring it along, though she had not been expecting this amount of abuse. She emptied her homemade blend of herbal antiseptic into the bowl, and began to carefully clean out the wounds. Sasuke tensed up beneath her hands, but held still for her. She knew that she was hurting him; his forehead was breaking out with sweat and a fine trembling had set up in his muscles, but he did not make a noise._

"_I'm almost done cleaning them. I have some ointment that will soothe the pain, plus I will do a healing session before I go." She told him softly._

"_Why are you here?" He asked her suddenly in a hard voice._

"_Itachi sent me. He hasn't been released from the hospital yet, and he asked me to come check on you as a favor to him. It's a good thing I did." She said angrily._

"_I don't believe I feel comfortable with the fact that you keep rescuing me." Sasuke said as he gritted his teeth against the pain. Though he tried to project a bit of humor into his voice, he was truly upset that she was the one to see him in his most vulnerable state repeatedly. For some strange reason, he wanted her to see him a strong person. It hurt his pride to have to be rescued over and over by the weakest member of the Rookie Nine. Not exactly weak really, I think that she has proven that to me. Her body may not be that strong, but she has an inner strength that is incredible_. Uneasy with the feelings of admiration that were rising up for the young woman, he decided to force her to show a weakness.

"So- how is your relationship with my brother going? Have you kissed yet?" He asked her slyly. Hinata fumbled the cleaning rag and gave a squeak of embarrassment. Sasuke turned his head to see that she had turned a deep red. He chuckled and then regretted it immediately when she brought the cloth down on his back almost a slap. He moaned in pain, and Hinata apologized profusely. She was ashamed that his teasing had made her lose her temper enough to hurt him without thinking about it. After several minutes of listening to her, Sasuke interrupted.

"It's alright Princess. I forgive you, just be more gentle." He said impatiently.

"Hai." She said, blinking back tears. She quickly finished cleaning his wounds, including the ones on his ribcage, and applied the ointment to them. She followed this with bandages, and lastly, ran chakra filled hands over his torso. Hinata felt a deep sense of satisfaction when his stiff expression evened out, and she knew that his pain had eased. She helped him sit up on the bunk and then retrieved the forgot bento from her knapsack. He looked at her impassively, making no move to take the food.

"Isn't this overkill? I don't want your pity, Princess." He told her coldly.

"Since when does food equal pity?" She asked him with a small smirk on her face. They starred into each other's eyes, both challenging the other to look away first. Just as Hinata was about to lose, Sasuke let out an a sigh of exasperation and snatched the bento box out of her hands. He opened it up and was astonished to see all off his favorites. She smiled smugly as he dug into the food.

"Thanks, Princess. Room service here sucks." he told her between bites. She giggled, and he looked up, momentarily stunned by the beautiful sound. Shaking it off, he went back to eating. _I wonder if she cooked this herself-it is delicious. If she did, I am definitely inviting myself over to eat with them after they are married and I am out of this hell hole. _

"Hey Princess-did you cook this?" He asked.

"Yes. Why? Doesn't it taste good? Itachi said that they were all your favorites…" She said worriedly. He smirked to himself, and decided to tease her a little more.

"My future sister-in-law is an excellent cook. I'll have to make sure that my brother issues a standing invitation to supper." He told her with a straight face.

"SASUKE!" She screeched as her face turned beet-red.

"What, Princess?" He asked innocently, as he enjoyed her embarrassment. It was cute how she blushed so easily. It made him want to embarrass her more often. He watched as she attempted to calm herself down. He smirked at her, and then had to work hard not to laugh at her look of indignation. Several minutes passed and neither spoke. Hinata out of annoyance, and Sasuke because he was savoring her truly superior cooking. Hinata cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Why do you keep calling me princess?" She asked him curiously.

"Because you remind me of one of those fairytales. You are beautiful, kind, a bit naïve, and too good to be true." He told her matter of factly, before taking the last bit. Hinata sat there in a state of shock. She didn't know how to respond. He didn't sound like he was flirting, just like he was stating facts. _Is that how he really sees me? _She frowned down at her lap, unsettled by flutter in her stomach his words had caused. Hinata jumped as the empty box was shoved into her hands. She rose to her feet quickly and placed it back into her knapsack.

"I'll be back tomorrow, same time." She told him as turned to leave.

"Wait- how is he doing?" Sasuke asked her.

"He is almost healed, another week or so in the hospital, and I think that he will be released." She told him happily.

"Will you ask him to come see me? There are things we need to talk about." He inquired thoughtfully. Hinata nodded and then knocked on the cell door. A few seconds later, it opened and she slipped through with a quick backwards wave.


	15. Chapter 15

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

"I think in light of this new development, I will be assigning you officially to undertake the care of both Uchiha brothers, Hinata. He needs a very skilled healer, plus, we both know that Sasuke would reject help from Sakura at this point." Tsunade said manner of factly. Hinata nodded her agreement. It suited her to have official access to Sasuke, after all, it helped her fulfill her promise to Itachi. She was also upset for Sasuke, with the treatment he was receiving. First from Sakura, and then from Ibiki.

"Itachi-kun had already asked me to visit Sasuke for him each day before my shift." She informed the Hokage. Tsunade lifted her eyebrow at the affectionate attachment Hinata had placed on Itachi Uchiha's name. It seemed that her plan was working very well indeed. Months ago, when she first had Itachi under her care and went digging for the truth about his allgience, she found the Third's plan for saving the Uchiha clan. She also found a bethrothal contract between the Hyuuga heiress, and the Uchiha heir. Tsunade decided to put the two together and let nature run its course.

Hinata was a beautiful young woman with a very compassionate heart. Tsunade knew that if she gave her the files concerning Itachi's past, Hinata would be unable to prevent herself from helping him. Plus, since Hinata had once been suicidal and recovered, she would understand the strong emotions behind Itachi's desire to end his life. Setting the future of the Uchiha clan aside, Hinata was being forced into an impossible situation at home that Tsunade was forbidden from interfering with as it was a inner clan matter. She had been looking for a way to help the young woman, and she knew that if Itachi fell in love with her, all of Hinata's problems would be taken care of. She would be taken care of, because the young man had proven that he would sacrifice anything to protect his precious people.

So she put her plan into motion, manipulating Hinata further by pretending that she was the last medic left that hadn't refused to take care of Itachi. She released most of the files concerning his past mission to the girl, and gave her time to read them and take her first step towards understanding what a remarkable man he really was. She was betting on the fact that Itachi would fall under Hinata's gentle spell, just as most of the other males in the village. The young woman was someone very special, and Tsunade knew that Itachi was no fool.

"Itachi-kun? Is there something else that you need to report to me Hinata?" Tsunade asked the young woman teasingly. Hinata turned beet red and began stammering. _Well, well, it seems that this is one bet 'The Legendary Sucker' is not going to lose! _She let the girl ramble for a few minutes, and then held her hand up, signaling Hinata to be quiet.

"If you and Itachi can find happiness together, I will not stand in your way. In fact, I think that both of you are well-matched and deserve to have someone that loves you. You've both been through much heartbreak, and it's time some happiness came to you both. You and Itachi have my approval for what it is worth." Tsunade told the stunned young woman.

Hinata starred at her mentor in amazement, before a bright smile formed on her face. In that moment, she was stunningly beautiful, and Tsunade was pleased that her gamble had paid off. Only a woman in love could smile like that. She settled back in her chair and attempted to hide the smug look forming on her face.

"Dismissed!" She barked. Hinata bowed to her and left for the hospital. As soon as she left, the Hokage looked at her assistant and held out her hand. Reluctantly, Shizune handed over a wad of bills as her friend laughed at her.

/

/

/

ITACHI'S HOSPITAL ROOM

"-I treated his wounds and fed him, then went and reported to Tsunade. She has officially assigned me to take care of the both of you." Hinata informed Itachi. He sat back against his bed, and considered everything that she had just told him. He was just as angry as she was over the ill treatment of his little brother. Still, this new development would fit in perfectly with their plans. Now that she was assigned to his care as a mission, Sasuke couldn't refuse her help.

"I believe this will work out well for my brother in the end. Ibiki will be prevented from causing further pain to Sasuke, my little brother will receive care for his wounds, and at least one decent meal a day. With you visiting him on a regular basis, he should recover from his pain over Sakura and Naruto's betrayal as well." Itachi told her with satisfaction.

"Itachi-kun, I think that you have way to much faith in me." Hinata said with dismay. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to sit beside him. Hinata blushed, but she didn't fight him. He used his other hand to pull her face around so that she was facing him.

"On the contrary, it is you who underestimate yourself. If you can bring me back from the edge of suicide, helping Sasuke will be an easy feat for you. Your very goodness is just what he needs to be reminded that not everyone in the world is corrupt." He caressed the side of her face gently, and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. Hinata's blushed deepened as she wished that he would kiss her on the lips. Itachi let out a bark of laughter as he saw the disappointed look cross her face. He put his mouth against her ear.

"Not in front of company, dear." He whispered teasingly to her, as he blew in her ear before moving back. He smirked in satisfaction at the dazed look on her face. Gently, he set her back on her feet. Hinata came out of her daze, and glanced in embarrassment to the corner where Kakashi stood. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that he was lost in his little orange book again. When Itachi focused his attention on her, she had the disturbing tendency to forget that anyone else was in the room. She was both disappointed and grateful that he had the self control to stop them before they put on an exhibition.

"So, how did my brother seem emotionally?" He asked her, changing the subject to give them both a break from the sexual tension. To his surprise, she blushed an even deeper shade of red. _Curious…_

"He was obviously bitter, but he seemed to be basically okay." She told him as she twiddled her thumbs in a nervous movement. Itachi's curiosity grew and he noticed that Kakashi's attention was caught by her action as well.

"He didn't say anything to hurt your feelings did he?" He asked sternly. Hinata looked up at him in surprise.

"NO! He just teased me about my cooking and called me princess. It was embarrassing, but it didn't hurt my feelings." She blurted out. Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"He called you princess?" He asked her. Hinata went back to twiddling her thumbs.

"Well, I asked him why he kept calling me that, and he said that I reminded him of one of those fairytale princesses." She told him reluctantly.

"Is that all he said?" He asked her quietly.

"W-well, h-he said that I was b-b-beautiful, naïve, and too g-g-good to be true." She stammered as her blushed deepened. Itachi frowned, and he felt a flick of jealousy at the thought of his brother flirting with **HIS** woman. He noticed that she seemed to be hesitating, as if she had something else to say.

"What else?" He demanded gently.

"He said that his f-f-future s-sister-in-law w-was an excellent c-c-cook." She stuttered as her face practically glowed with embarrassment. Itachi felt himself relax with her words. Maybe Sasuke was flirting with her unconsciously, but it was obvious that he knew of their relationship and supported it.

"If you would like me to, I can have a few words with him about embarrassing my 'wife'." He teased her. She started to sway where she stood, and his amusement changed to concern as he leap out of bed just in time to catch her before she fell. He placed her on the bed carefully, and brushed her hair off her face.

"Well, it seems that you have a rival for her affections, Itachi." Kakashi said humorously. Itachi shot him a look of irritation from the corner of his eye, but Kakashi just laughed at him.


	16. Chapter 16

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

**Note**: In interest of where I am going with the plot, there is going to be a time skip of three months.

Itachi strolled up the door of the prison with deceptive nonchalance. No one looking at his impassive face would guess at the complex mixture of emotions that he was feeling. Anger, dread, jealousy, pain, guilt, and shame. It was his first visit to see Sasuke, and he was feeling both reluctance and anticipation. This was the first time since that horrible night that he would look at his brother and speak the truth. Deep inside of him, he hoped that Sasuke could understand why he had carried out the mission given to him. He felt that if his little brother could just understand what had driven him to kill their family, he could feel some measure of peace.

Despite his many talks with Tsunade, Hinata, Kakashi, and the therapist assigned to him, Itachi was still unable to forgive himself. If he couldn't forgive himself, how could he expect Sasuke to forgive him? Yes, if Sasuke could just understand his true motives and could accept that his actions had been necessary…he could live with that. He handed his clearance pass from the Hokage to the masked guard and waited as the man scanned it. He stepped aside and opened the door for Itachi. From his days as a former ANBU captain, he already knew where Sasuke would be held, and he went down the corridor swiftly.

He had arranged with Hinata to show up during one of her checks. She thought that it was because he and Sasuke would need her emotional support. Though that was true, Itachi had two more reasons for requesting her to be there, neither one of which was so innocent. He knew from the stories Hinata told of her visits to Sasuke that his younger brother flirted with her on a regular basis. The way that she avoided his eyes sometimes, and the brilliant red she flushed when mentioning Sasuke led him to believe that she was not immune to his little brother's charm.

So his first true purpose of scheduling their visits to overlap was so he could observe the two of them together, to see for himself what feelings there were between them. The second reason was completely selfish, and he was embarrassed to admit it to himself. He knew that he didn't deserve the love of someone as special as Hinata, but having fallen so deeply in love with her, he couldn't let her go now. Not even to his baby brother that he had sacrificed so much for. For once, he was going to be selfish and take what he wanted. And he wanted Hinata with every fiber of his being. She was his, and today he was going to make sure that his little brother was aware of it in no uncertain terms.

He masked his chakra and snuck up to Sasuke's cell. As he approached, he heard his brother's deep chuckles mixed with the more bell-like tones of Hinata's giggles. His hands clenched, and he forced himself to relax and listen.

"Sasuke-kun, I can't b-believe that you j-just told me that! You have to be pulling my leg!" Hinata choked out as she was taken by another fit of giggles.

"It's true. Every word of it- I swear. I have to tell you that I almost threw up when I saw them. If you think that Oroichimaru was creepy as a man, you should have seen him dressed up as a woman." Sasuke said with mock horror in his voice. They laughed for a few more minutes, and then there was abrupt silence. Itachi's attention was caught as he heard the sound of a kiss followed by harsh breathing. He was getting ready to make his presence known when the sound of a slap rang out. He blinked in shock, and reluctantly backed down, curiosity overcoming his territorial instincts.

"S-sasuke, you know t-t-that I love Itachi, why would y-y-you do that!" Hinata cried out. She began to sob quietly.

"Hinata…I..," Sasuke hesitated to continue, and Itachi could hear the pain and longing in his voice. He forced himself to stay where he was, and see how Hinata was going to react.

"We've talked about this before, and you said that you were fine just being friends. If you can't respect my feelings than I am going to request another medic to take my place." Hinata said quietly, but firmly with no stutter. Itachi grinned in spite of the dark jealousy surging through him. His woman may appear to be a pushover, but she knew how to stand up for herself.

"You don't have to do that, I won't touch you again." Sasuke said, his voice emotionless. Itachi could almost see the look on his younger brother's face, he had a similar one himself.

"Sasuke, I don't want to hurt you…" Hinata's voice reflected the conflicting emotions she was feeling. Itachi knew that she loved him, but it was clear that she also held some feelings for his brother as well. He heard Sasuke give out a bark of laughter.

"Hinata, I'm a big boy, I can handle it. It's not like this is the first time I've been rejected." He said with a slightly bitter tone. She let out a little sob, and Itachi felt that it was time to let his presence be known. He unmasked his chakra and opened the door.


End file.
